Futures Festival Online 2019
November 9th, 2019

The Association of Professional Futurists (APF) is a growing community of futurists dedicated to promoting professional excellence and demonstrating the value of strategic foresight and futures studies. APF hosts online discussions such as the Futures Festival, an annual 12-hour virtual gathering, and offers professional development programs and recognition for excellence in futures. The annual APF Futures Festival is an opportunity for people across the globe to share projects, insights, experiences, and ideas. Futures Festival ’19 brings together projects that consider, provoke, and support radical transformations.

https://futuresfestival.online/

 International Book Launch

Electrification in Peer-to-Peer Society – New Narrative for Sustainable Futures

Time:
Monday 4th November
2 – 4 pm

Venue:
Hotel Radisson BLU,
22 Riebeek St,
Cape Town
City Centre

This Book Launch is a pre-conference event for the Annual Conference of the Club of Rome

Our Joint Futures – Lessons from Africa

Two topics of the Club of Rome’s new programme are directly related to the thematic of this book: Climate Emergency Initiative & Emerging New Civilizations

Download the programme

Please contribute to the horizon scanning activity: "Achieving food and nutrition security, reducing inequality, and preserving terrestrial ecosystems: 100 critical research questions for decision makers in sub-Saharan Africa."

Sentinel: Social and Environmental Trade-Offs in African Agriculture, needs your input. With the human population of sub-Saharan Africa expected to double, and food demand to triple over the next 50 years, decisions made today can have profound effects on the future. And we must ensure governments, policy makers and private sector have access to the most up-to-date and relevant knowledge to aid them in the decision-making process.

The Sentinel project team in partnership with International Water Management Institute (IWMI) are leading a "horizon scanning" activity to identify the 100 most critical research questions that would have the greatest positive impact on addressing these challenges and aid in the decision-making process. The aim of this horizon scanning activity is: “Achieving food and nutrition security, reducing inequality, and preserving terrestrial ecosystems: 100 critical research questions for decision makers in sub-Saharan Africa.”

We want to hear your views. We are recruiting participants and organisations that are involved and/or work in sub-Saharan Africa to contribute their questions. You do not need to have in-depth knowledge to participate, and we are keen to hear from anyone involved in the region, especially if you are actively engaged with the agricultural sector.  Find out more and send your questions now. The deadline for submissions has been extended to 31 August 2019.

Sentinel is an interdisciplinary research project led by IIED, supported by the Global Challenges Research Fund of the UK Research Councils. It is seeking to address the challenge of achieving ‘zero hunger’ in sub-Saharan Africa, while at the same time reducing inequalities and conserving ecosystems.

Over four years Sentinel aims to understand the challenges, trade-offs and synergies inherent in working towards these development goals in three African countries – Ethiopia, Ghana and Zambia. This knowledge will help governments, policy makers and the private sector to make better-informed decisions about land use, agricultural practices and investments so that food security can be improved while limiting the loss of biodiversity and protecting social equality.

Find out more about the project and sign up to the quarterly newsletter.

SingularityU South Africa Summit 2019

Johannesburg on October 16 and 17 2019

Singularity University is a global learning and innovation community using exponential technologies to tackle the world’s biggest challenges and build a better future for all.

Our collaborative platform empowers individuals and organizations across the globe to learn, connect, and innovate breakthrough solutions using accelerating technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, and digital biology. We offer educational programs, courses, and summits; enterprise strategy, leadership, and innovation programs; programs to support and scale startups and promote social impact; and online news and content. The SU community includes entrepreneurs, corporations, global nonprofits, governments, investors, and academic institutions in more than 127 countries. With over 5,000 impact initiatives, our community is driving positive change in the areas of health, environment, security, education, energy, food, prosperity, water, space, disaster resilience, shelter, and governance.

https://singularityusouthafricasummit.org/

Future Shock at 50--request for contributions

Dear all,

John Schroeter--publisher at Technica Curiosa--is organising a book marking the 50th anniversary of Future Shock (see the full explanation below).

He already has some distinguished contributors (including Alan Kay and the astronomer Martin Rees as well as our own Andy Hines, Richard Slaughter, and Clem Bezold) but would like to extend the range of diversity and voices. He's looking for contributions of 750 words to 2,000 words, with a delivery of manuscript in late April.

The brief is to reflect on an aspect of Alvin Toffler's book and then pivot towards your own personal perspective on the future, though the lens of your take on the book.

Jay has asked me to co-ordinate a response; I'm going to suggest that if you're interested in getting involved, you can share with me a 75-90 word summary of what you're thinking of saying, and I'll package those up and share them with John. He can then decide what is saying something different from the contributions he already has. The deadline for those 75-90 word synopses is Saturday 16th February.

Looking at the line-up so far, it might be characterised as being mostly men of a certain age and colour, perhaps in keeping with the period when the book was published. If you work with younger or more diverse groups of futurists, or people who might have a distinctive perspective on Toffler's book, please share this with them. 

Thanks

Andrew Curry

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Invitation for "Future Shock at 50" Project

Hello and thank you for allowing me this opportunity to introduce myself. This is John Schroeter writing to invite your participation in our upcoming book marking the 50-year anniversary of Alvin Toffler’s Future Shock. The title/subtitle of the new work is “After Shock: The world’s foremost futurists reflect on 50 years of Future Shock—and look forward to the next 50.”

We would be honored and delighted if your network of professional futurists would like to contribute short essays to the book. Briefly, this would involve reflections on the classic text (any aspect they might choose), and then segue to the authors’ particular views of the future—through the lenses of their work and ideas. The essays will be on the order of 750 to 2,000 words, depending on what is needed to adequately address the subject matter.

At the end of essays, we will include their bio and significant links. 

We look forward to the possibility of working with you on what I know will be an exciting and rewarding project.

Thank you, and best regards,

John Schroeter, Publisher

Joseph Jaworski Next Generation Foresight Practitioners Award

Are you someone who is disrupting and shaping the future? Could you make a difference with USD 25 000? The Joseph Jaworski Next Generation Foresight Practitioners Award is now open! This is an annual award established by the School of International Futures recognising the next generation’s endeavours in shaping the future. Apply by 31 May 2019 for a chance to win the main award of $25000 and over ten different Special Awards.

Who we want to support

Next Generation foresight practitioners between 18 and 35 years old (at the time of entry) or have fewer than ten years’ experience working in strategic foresight.

The world is changing and as it does we need new sources of inspiration and innovation. Change will come from many arenas and peoples. We believe that the practice of foresight can help us embrace change, uncertainty & create better futures. The Joseph Jaworski Next Generation Foresight Practitioners Award aims to identify these innovators and support them in their endeavours.

See the winners from NGFP2018 here https://nextgenforesight.org/awards.html

How we want to support

The Main Award includes a years’ incubator funding worth USD 25,000 to support a new foresight initiative, mentoring and support for the winner, as well a free ticket to our SOIF2018 retreat. Special Awardees (in social enterprise, urban policy, environmental humanitarian and geographical sectors, with more special awards being added soon) will also benefit from support to develop personally and professionally and all qualifying entrants will have opportunities to showcase their work and be invited to join the global “Sensing Network” community.

NGFP Webinars

To help maximise your chances of success, we are holding a series of webinars to support you through the application process, answer questions and provide you with an opportunity to speak to the NGFP2018 winner and judge.

Our next webinar is taking place on 16 April, 17.00 GMT. Register your place here: 

http://bit.ly/2HcQhVN

For more information on the awards visit nextgenforesight.org.

To find our more about sponsorship or judging opportunities please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Learn more about SOIF here https://www.soif.org.uk/